Saturday, September 5, 2026. Kickoff 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The headline game of college football’s opening weekend needs very little selling. Clemson visits LSU at night in Tiger Stadium, and it is the first time Clemson has ever played inside Death Valley in Baton Rouge.
The game is already sold out.
| Kickoff | 7:30 p.m. ET · 6:30 CT · 5:30 MT · 4:30 PT |
| TV | ABC |
| Streaming | ESPN App, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Sling |
| Venue | Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge — sold out |
| Free option | ABC is available over the air with an antenna |
Clemson Has Never Played Here
The two programs have met before, but never in Baton Rouge. Tiger Stadium at night is among the loudest environments in the sport, and Clemson is walking into it in the first week of the season with a roster that has not played a competitive snap together.
Season openers between ranked programs are unusual for exactly this reason. Neither side has film, neither has settled its rotations, and the crowd is the one variable that is fully prepared.
LSU’s Unusual Offseason
Lane Kiffin’s team arrives having assembled one of the more unusual rosters in recent memory. LSU pursued several former NFL players through a Louisiana court ruling that restored their college eligibility, and expects to have Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and Junior Tuihalamaka available.
The most productive of that group will not be. Jack Pyburn, who led the entire NFL with four preseason sacks, was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs on August 31, ending his planned return. Our page on LSU’s NFL returnees tracks the rest.
How to Watch Without Cable
ABC carries the game nationally, which makes this one of the easier games of the weekend to watch. An antenna gets it free in most markets.
For streaming, any service carrying ABC works — Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and Sling all include it in their base packages in most regions, and several offer free trials. The ESPN App also carries ABC broadcasts for authenticated subscribers.
Where It Sits in the Week
Week 1 runs Thursday, September 3 through Monday, September 7. Clemson at LSU is the centrepiece of Saturday night, sharing the primetime window with Western Michigan at Michigan on NBC.
The weekend opens Thursday with Colorado at Georgia Tech, continues through a full Saturday slate, and closes with SMU at Florida State on Monday night. Our Week 1 schedule has the full listing.
The Bottom Line
Clemson at LSU kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 5, live on ABC from a sold-out Tiger Stadium. It is Clemson’s first ever visit to Death Valley in Baton Rouge and the marquee game of opening weekend. ABC is free over the air, or available on any streaming service carrying local broadcast channels.